5 Quick & Easy Bad Breath Tests You Can Do Right Now...
As You're Reading This!
By Tomas Caomhanach
Unfortunately (or, perhaps, fortunately!), you can't smell your own bad breath.
Even if you cup your hand over your mouth and nose, and take a sniff right
after you breath out, you're really only smelling your own hand, not your
breath.
That's because, despite
the fact that bad breath contains all kinds of nasty stuff that would make you
wretch if it came from someone else, the problem usually develops so slowly and
so gradually that you simply become used to the smell from yourself. Your body
becomes so acclimatized to the specific concentrations of nasty stuff in your
bad breath, that you simply don't notice it anymore!
That's not true for other
people though! They absolutely notice
it. Even if they have bad breath themselves, their body is only acclimatized to
the specific concentrations of nasty smells they themselves emit - not the
stuff you exude! In most cases, people only become aware of having a bad breath
problem by the reactions of those around them. If you notice people suddenly stepping
back when you come near, it's a good indicator that something is wrong.
That's a pretty
embarrassing way to find out though. So, if you think you have bad breath, but
don't want to go around asking people if you can breathe on them to find out
for sure, you might be interested in some simple bad breath tests you
can do right now...
1. The Hand Test:
Probably the easiest and
best-known way is to simply lick the back of your hand, and let it dry for 5 or
10 seconds. Then sniff it. This works because you've transferred some of the
'stuff' that makes your breath smell on to your hand, while removing your
actual breath (which you can't smell) from the equation.
2. The Gauze Test:
You could also wipe your
tongue with a large piece of gauze or cotton wool, and let that dry in the same
way as above. This works for the same reason (as licking your hand) but has the
added advantage of allowing you to check for a yellowish stain on it. If you
notice that, it's a very strong indicator of a bad breath problem.
3. The Spoon Test:
Take a regular spoon from
your kitchen, turn it upside down, and gently scrape it along the surface of
your tongue. Again, let it dry and smell it. This also works for the same
reason as above.
4. The Floss Test:
You can also take a piece
of dental floss (or dental tape) and run it between some of your back teeth.
Let that dry too, and then smell it. Although, in virtually all cases, the (bad
breath) problem doesn't actually originate from the teeth, there is still enough
'stuff' that produces the bad smell between them to give a good indication of a
problem. This method will also give you an idea of what your bad breath smells
like to other people.
5. The Mirror Test:
Look into a mirror, and
stick your tongue out as far as you can. Does your tongue have a white coating
on it? The intensity of this coating will give a reasonably good idea of the
intensity of your bad breath. Also, in general, the farther back (towards your
throat) that white coating extends, the worse the problem.
Also, another good
indicator of a bad breath problem is if different foods and drinks (like dairy
foods, alcohol, soda, and sugar) affect your taste. This includes alcohol-based
mouthwash.
It's possible to undergo a
very accurate scientific test at a specialist bad breath clinic too. There,
doctors will use special instruments, such as a 'Halimeter', to examine and classify the
chemical compounds present in your breath. However, these will cost you several
hundred (and, in some cases, severalthousand)
dollars, and are unlikely to be covered by any health or dental insurance
plans. They also have other drawbacks too: Certain foods such as garlic and
onions produce sulfur in the breath for as long as 48 hours and can result in
false readings. The instruments are also very sensitive to alcoholic drinks, so
much so that even using alcohol-bases mouthwashes will give inaccurate results.
They also lose sensitivity over time anyway, and require periodic recalibration
to remain accurate.
While all of the above are
excellent ways to test for bad breath, the simple truth is, if you think you have bad breath,
then you probably do: As mentioned earlier, most people
become aware of the problem by the reaction of those around them. Humans are
highly social animals and, as such, can detect a negative reaction in
another person from a mile away (even if, as is the case with bad
breath, that reaction is involuntary). If people turn away... step back... and cover their
nose and mouth when you're near them, then the above tests probably aren't even
necessary... you can make a pretty safe assumption that you do have a problem!
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